Strikes by the U.S. and British militaries against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen were "defensive, and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways", a NATO spokesperson said on Friday.

"Houthi forces are supported, supplied and equipped by Iran. So Tehran has a special responsibility to rein in its proxies", the spokesperson added.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel and Andrew Gray; Editing by Toby Chopra)